This invention relates generally to an outdoor cooking apparatus and, more particularly, to a skillet having interchangeable perforated bottom plates for directly exposing food items to the heat and fire of a cooking grill while cooking.
Skillets have long been used for cooking food items over a campfire or an outdoor cooking grill. One problem with conventional skillets is that food items such as bacon, eggs, etc. get cooked in their own grease as there is no effective means for draining it while cooking. Having a skillet full of flammable grease so near an open flame is also hazardous. Another problem with using conventional skillets for outdoor cooking is that the skillet may inhibit efficient heat transfer or the desired flavoring that results from more direct contact between the food items and the fire or smoke.
Various devices have been proposed in the art for draining and collecting grease from a skillet. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices do not provide a skillet having means both for draining grease while cooking and for cooking virtually any sized food items with direct exposure to an open flame or the direct heat of an outdoor cooking grill.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a skillet with interchangeable perforated bottom plates for cooking food items in direct exposure to a flame or cooking grill. Further, it is desirable to have a skillet in which variably sized food items can be cooked in direct exposure to a flame or grill without the food items falling out of the skillet.
A skillet having interchangeable bottom plates according to the present invention includes a side wall having a lower edge. A rim with an inwardly extending ledge portion is attached to the lower edge of the side wall and extends therealong. The rim extends inwardly a short distance from the lower edge of the side wall and defines an open bottom of the skillet. The skillet includes a plurality of interchangeable bottom plates with each plate being dimensioned to be supported atop the ledge and thus surrounded by the side wall. Each bottom plate includes a cooking surface having a unique configuration of apertures. For example, a cooking surface of one plate may include a grate having relatively large diamond-shaped apertures while another plate may include a cooking surface having relatively small circular apertures. Therefore, meat, potatoes, large vegetable portions, small vegetable portions, etc. may be cooked in the skillet when the appropriate bottom plate is used.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a skillet having a perforated bottom plate which reduces cooking time by exposing food items to the direct heat of an open flame or cooking grill.
Another object of this invention is to provide a skillet, as aforesaid, having a plurality of removable and interchangeable bottom plates such that a bottom plate having apertures appropriately suited for a particular food size may be used.
A further object of this invention is to provide a skillet, as aforesaid, having an inwardly disposed ledge for selectively supporting an interchangeable bottom plate.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.